Article,
Reverse Engineering Ontology to Conceptual Data Models
CoRR, (2004)
Abstract
Ontologies facilitate the integration of heterogeneous data sources
by resolving semantic heterogeneity between them. This research aims
to study the possibility of generating a domain conceptual model
from a given ontology with the vision to grow this generated conceptual
data model into a global conceptual model integrating a number of
existing data and information sources. Based on ontologically derived
semantics of the BWW model, rules are identified that map elements
of the ontology language (DAML+OIL) to domain conceptual model elements.
This mapping is demonstrated using TAMBIS ontology. A significant
corollary of this study is that it is possible to generate a domain
conceptual model from a given ontology subject to validation that
needs to be performed by the domain specialist before evolving this
model into a global conceptual model.
